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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

The North Star Dakotan No. 1, a North Dakota Studies Project

Good day reader. I've been working on a North Dakota Studies project for the good people at the North Dakota Humanities Council. The project is called The North Star Dakotan, and its all about making North Dakota history units available to students learning about North Dakota history, culture, politics, agriculture, literature, and to some extent even philosophy. The North Star Dakotan is free. There is no cost to the educators, students, or anyone else interested in exploring the realm (if I could use the word) of North Dakota. The North Star Dakotan began back in 1993 and was directed by D. Jerome Tweton, a prominent North Dakota Humanities Scholar and recipient of many other prestigious state honors. It was Tweton and the founding director, Mr. Everett Albers, who got this project off the ground and flying for about fifteen years.

My role is this project is small. I designed the logo, directed the layout, and made sure that the contect matched current North Dakota studies standards. The content was entirely rewritten by Tweton himself.

I had a chance to personally meet with Tweton earlier this year. We discussed notes and primary resources. Tweton asked me if there was anything I'd like to see more of in this issue. Since this issue was focusing on the early cultural occupations of North Dakota and the native peoples, early explorers and traders, why not include a little more of the native history. He graciously obliged my request without hesitation.